Society of American Business Editors and Writers

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
363297751
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Phone
6782097127
Rating
57
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$497,099
Expenses
$496,554
Assets
$596,853
Liabilities
$162,573

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

27 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DESIREE HANFORD (PRESIDENT (THRU 4/24))
  • JAMES B NELSON (VICE PRESIDENT (THRU 4/24))
  • PIA SARKAR (VP/PRESIDENT (START 4/24))
  • STEPHANIE KLIMSTRA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • STEPHANIE KLIMSTRA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $125,086 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Members of the society for advancing business editing and writing (sabew) band together in the individual and collective pursuit of the highest standards of economic journalism. It is sabew's mission as an independent, non-profit organization to encourage comprehensive reporting of economic events without fear or favoritism and to increase members' skills and knowledge through continuous education. Sabew's first amendment committee supports press freedom through statements, events and training about the importance of journalism, including the principle that fact-based reporting is necessary for the health of robust democracies. Sabew advocates for full access to financial and economic data, including information collected and distributed by governments. Sabew also holds an annual best in business awards competition, recognizing outstanding journalism conducted in the u.s. And abroad among professionals and students.

What it reported doing in 2024

Members of sabew band together in the individual and collective pursuit of the highest standards of economic journalism. The organization recognizes that economic freedom is inextricably linked to political freedom and that an informed citizenry can ensure these freedoms are sustained. It is sabew's mission as an independent non-profit organization to encourage comprehensive reporting of economic events without fear or favoritism and to increase members skills and knowledge through continuous education. Sabew recently has become more focused on press freedom. To that end, it has issued statements and created events and training highlighting the importance of journalism, including the principal that fact-based reporting is necessary for the health of robust democracies. Sabew advocates for full access to financial and economic data, including information collected and distributed by governments. Sabew also holds an annual best in business awards competition, recognizing outstanding journalism conducted in the us and abroad among professionals and students.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 96% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 25
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 36
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 28.1%; rating input score 28
  • Program expense ratio: 28.2%; rating input score 28
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 0.1%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.2; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.27; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 25.2%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -8.5% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.9% per year; rating input score 0; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 28.1% of revenue deployed · 28.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 20 of 20 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $140K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $125K · 27 people listed
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 28/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 28/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 40/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 46/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 14/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 17/100.